The handles on the mosquito net broke. Now I know how to repair them and what to replace them with without spending a penny

A mosquito net is a convenient thing, but extremely unreliable due to the fact that its components wear out very quickly. Once I became a participant in an extremely unpleasant incident - the handles on the mosquito net broke at the very moment when I was removing it from the window, the frame fell down and hit a car parked under the windows. Fortunately, the blow hit the bumper...

But since then I have been carefully monitoring the condition of the handles and as soon as I see that they are starting to crack, I immediately replace them with new ones. Moreover, repairs don’t cost me a penny, because I don’t buy accessories in a store, but do everything with my own hands.

How to install plastic cover handles on a mosquito net

Surely you are wondering what you can cut handles from if you don’t want to spend money on branded ones. I will answer this way - from any material that is strong enough not to tear under the weight of the frame and not crumble from prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation. It is also desirable that it be colorless and transparent, this will make the handles invisible and they will not spoil the appearance of the window.

To repair mosquitoes, I usually use plastic covers. The most common ones, the ones used to slam banks shut. I just don’t take steaming ones, but easily removable ones - firstly, they are thinner, and secondly, they have a flat surface, which means cutting them is much easier.

If you want to make the same handles, take:

• 1 transparent plastic cover;
• pencil or pen;
• paper;
• a stationery knife (the cuts made with it are more accurate and clear, but if you don’t have a knife, you can use sharp scissors);
• a small self-tapping screw (needed to install the handle in place) and a screwdriver;
• an electric drill with a drill whose diameter corresponds to the size of the self-tapping screw.

An old pen will also come in handy - if you want, you can trace it on paper so you don't have to draw the shape again.

Despite the fact that the description of the process takes many lines, you will spend about 10 minutes on the work, no more:

1. Draw a pen on paper in a 1:1 size. Please note that it must be holistic and not consist of individual elements.
2. Cut out this pattern and press it onto the lid, then trace it with a pencil. Then repeat this operation again if you need more handles than one. As a rule, two medium-sized handles can easily be made from one lid.
3. Cut out the workpiece, being careful not to leave any jagged edges on it that could scratch or tear the tulle.
4. Drill a hole in the frame for the screw.
5. Reinstall the handle using a screwdriver.

Reference. The shape of the handle for the mosquito net can be any - be it round or rectangular. But make sure that at least one finger fits freely into the hole - it should not squeeze the finger or cause other discomfort. Another important point is that the part by which the handle will be attached to the frame cannot be narrower than the diameter of the screw multiplied by three.

How to replace handles on a mosquito net - use a PET bottle

No matter how strange it may sound, not every home has nylon lids, and it’s not always possible to buy them either.In this case, you can make your own handles for the mesh from a plastic water bottle. It is desirable that the walls of the bottle are smooth and not ribbed - this way our product will turn out more elegant and inconspicuous.

For work, prepare:

• transparent plastic bottle;
• stationery knife or scissors;
• glue that is suitable for gluing plastic and the material from which the frame of your mosquito is made;
• screwdriver

Making and replacing a new handle goes like this:

1. Cut an even strip about 1-1.5 cm wide from the bottle and fold it in half so that a loop is formed at the end. Try this loop on a finger or two fingers (whichever is more comfortable for you to hold the frame), add about another centimeter of length to the loose fit and mark this place on the strip.
2. Pry the fixing cord slightly below or above the place where the old handle was attached.
3. Place a little glue on the frame under the cord and place a plastic strip under the cord. Be sure to ensure that the eyelet is positioned above the frame and that the mark you made earlier is flush with the frame.
4. Press the strip and hold it for as long as the glue instructions indicate (usually 20-60 seconds).
5. After this, tuck the fixing cord into place using a screwdriver and cut off the long “tail” of the strip that remains on the outside.

The product can be used for its intended purpose only after the glue has completely dried.

Questions and answers

How long will homemade pens last?

It all depends on the material used - nylon “lives” a little longer than polyethylene, but in general the mosquito will have to be repaired again no faster than after 1.5-2 years.It is also important which side a particular window faces - on the southern and eastern sides the sun is more active, and accordingly, more ultraviolet radiation hits the plastic.

Is it possible to make handles from something other than plastic?

Certainly. Sometimes I use for this purpose the same mesh material that I buy to replace worn out mesh. The method is similar to that described for PET bottles.

Now you know how to replace broken handles on a mosquito net with homemade ones, without spending extra money or sending the frame for repair. By the way, the methods I talked about are the simplest, but not the only ones. If you have other options for how and what you can replace your old pens with, be sure to tell us about them!